Razor



April 16, 1940.

E. STRIEBY RAZOR Filed Feb. 4,- 1937 I I lNl EN TOR V',. 8 E W mfm. S .7 n M r Patented Apr. is, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAZOR Maurice I. Strieby, Mapiewood, N. 1.

Application February 4, 1937, Serial No. 123,957

6 Claims. (01. 30-43) The present invention relates to improvements in power driven razors. More particularly the invention bears relation to a type of razor own heretofore in which there is commonly provided ing and hence of substantial thickness, so that it is inherently impossible to cut the hair as 15 short as is desired for a close shave. V

A broad object of the present invention isto provide an improved power driven razor capable of closer shaving. thanhas heretofore been possible with efllciently designed razors of the type described. A more specific objective is to provide a power driven razor so designed as to permit the use of a perforated face plate, so thin as to be non-self supporting yet so supported as to be rigid and operative with the cutter mem- 25 her for hair shearing purposes. Another and important object is to minimize unnecessary pressure and friction between the cutter member and face plate.

In accordance with the present invention the 3o foregoing objectives are attained by providing anexceedingly thin perforated face plate or blade that is supported under tensile forces to render it rigid. An important feature of .the invention lies in the manner in which'the aforesaid tensile 35 forces are applied to the thin blade, and in the manner in which'the latter is supported so that the tension applied thereto does not result in excessive pressure and friction between the blade and the cutter member. The invention is further 0 featured by means for independently adjusting the tension applied to the blade and the pressure between the blade and cutter. A subordinate feature of the invention lies in the means provided for easy changing of the blade, thus 45 enabling blades to be provided for close shaves or only moderately close, for stiff, bristly hair or for soft, silky hair, etc., and-for replacing worn or defective blades.

'The foregoing objects and features and various 50 other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willappear from a considera- Y tion of the following detailed description of. specific embodiments thereof. It is to be understood that these embodiments are illustrative only 55 and not limitative of the present invention, for

vdicated in the appended claims.

the various features thereof are, or may be, capable of application in identical or modified form to razors of substantially different design. What I conceive to be the limits of my invention are ine 6 Reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partially in section, of a razor in accordance with the invention showing the generalrelation of the parts thereof; 10

' Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the razor illustrated in Fig. 1 with the tensioned blade partially broken away to show the cutter member;

Fig. 3 is a section through Figs. land 2 showing 1 the operative relation of blade, cutter and hous- Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the cutter head showing the means for providingand adjusting longitudinal tension in the blade;

Fig. 51s a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a razor in accordance with the invention illustrating a preferred arrangement for providing and adjusting transverse tension in the blade and for adjusting. the clearance between the blade and the cutter member;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the cutter head shown in Fig. 5; and

- Fig. 'l is a cross-section through Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1-4 which show a form of improved razor in ac- 3 cordance with my invention, there is provided a housing I and associated cover-plate I proportioned to form a convenient grip for holding the instrument and to accommodate the cutter and driving means. At the cutter head the housing is elongated transversely andanapproximately rectangular opening is provided across which the perforated blade I0 is disposed in a manner shortly to be described. In operative relation with blade iii and adapted to be oscillated underneath and in contact therewith is the cutter 2, which as disclosed comprises a light metallic member having slots cut in the outer face which bears against the blade.

In the preferred embodiments of my invention herein disclosed, the blade, cutter member and cutter head are arcuate in plan view, the center of curvature being pivot 4. The cutter 2, fastened to a light shaft 3 pivoted at 4, is driven by elec- 5o trical means adapted to oscillate the shaft about the pivot. As disclosed, the driving means may be an electrically operated motor 5 that carries an eccentric pin 6 adapted to slide in a slot in shaft 3. Any other suitable means for reciprocating the cutter 2, however, may alternatively be provided.

The blade l0, shown in Figs. 2 and '3, comprises a strong metallic tape that is perforated for the admissionof hair, the perforations being preferably in the form of transverse, narrow may be of the order of one-thousandthbf aninch, approximately one-tenth the thickness'now commercially employed. Blades with different dimensions may be provided according to the coarseness or fineness of the hair that is towbei cut and the closeness of shave desired. e

' The aforementioned rectangular opening inthe housing at the cutter head is recessed slightly about the edges as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 so that the blade i0 may be flush or slightly below the surface. One end of the. blade is removably attached across one end of the rectangular opening as by means of pins H which project through corresponding openings in the end of the blade. At the other end of the blade a relatively heavy spring i2 projects through an opening in the housing and engages the blade so as'to draw it tightly across the rectangular opening. The blade is thereby rigidly fixed in position for cooperation with the cutter member 2. Suitable means may be provided for ,adjusting the tension, as, for example, an adjusting screw l3 the end of which bears against the free end of the pivoted spring 'member. I

The face of the hollow cutter member 2 is slotted so as to cooperate with the slots in the blade l0. Preferably the slots in the cutter member are not strictly transverse but slightly inclined as shown in Fig. 2. This feature has a double advantage, for the shearing action is thereby distributed over the reciprocatory cycle, and the possibility that the transverse strips comprising the blade will be caught by the cutter member is minimized inasmuch as between each strip and cutter tooth the point of shear sweeps from one rigidly fixed end of the strip to the other.

The slots in the cutter are deep enough that the hair clippings fall into its hollow interior, whence they may drop out of either end and fall through the openings 8 provided at each side of the housing.

In the embodiment last described the longer sides of the blade l0 rest in the recess in the rectangular opening; in view of the arouate form of the recess, the lengthwise tension in the blade l0 secures the latter firmly in this recess. The distribution of the tensile forces across the end of the blade, the'curvature of the recess and the width of the supporting shoulder provided thereby may be-modified within limits to obtain the desired rigidity of the blade.

Whereas Figs. 1-4 show how lengthwise tension in the blade may be adjusted, Figs. 5-7 illustrate a further and preferred modification whereby transverse tension in the blade may be provided and controlled. This embodiment may optionally also incorporate the longitudinal tensioning means of Figs. 1-4. An important advantage inherent in the application of tension to the blade in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the cutter teeth lies in the added resistance of the blade to distortion. It will be evident that the stresses incident to the other.

ance between the blade and cutter.

action. Tension applied at right angles to the direction of movement of the cutter shearingedges, however, is highly effective in resisting the tendency for the blade portions to be deformed,

so that the blade is maintained in more effectiveshearing relation with the cutter, and it is otherwise be possible.

Therazor shown in Fig. 5, which illustrates I .one manner in which transverse tensioning may be applied to a blade in accordance with the invention, includes means for fixing the longer sides of the blade firmly to the sides of the reoessed portion of the housing and means for adjusting the distance between said sides. specifically, the housing 2| is split fromend to end, a fulcrum 22 is provided at an intermediate point lengthwise of the housing, and means are provided near the pivoted end of shaft 3 for forcing the two portions of the housing toward each other. The edges of the two housing portions may overlap as indicated'in Fig. 7 so that the interior is completely enclosed for all angu lar positions of the housing portions.

The blade is fixed along its sides to the two sides of the rectangular opening as by means of undercut pins projecting from the recessed surfaces' through corresponding holes in the blade. So also the blade may be fixed at one end as'in Fig. 4 and the lengthwise tensioning means shown in detail in that-figure may be provide at the The holes through which the blade-supporting pins project may be slightly elongated to permit slight movement of the blade under the tensioning forces.

Fig. 5 shows also one manner of journaling feasible to employ a thinner blade than would 7 More the shaft 3 so as to provide means for adjusting the position thereof and consequently the clear- This feature is applied also to the razor shown in Fig. '1. Specifically, there is provided a cylindrical pin 24 an intermediate portion 25 of which provides an eccentric journal for the shaft 3. The upper end of the pin 24 is slotted and projects through an opening in the housing so that it may be turned for adjusting purposes The other end of the pin is of reduced diameter and fits snugly into a bearing provided by the housing. To lock the pin in position after it is adjusted a screw 23, threaded into the lower end of the pin, is tightened down onto the housing. With the eccentric bearing in the positionillustrated a very sensitive control is had of the blade-cutter clearance. The driving pin 5 (Fig. 1) and slot are proportioned to accommodate theslight movement of the pivot transverse to the axis of shaft 3 that follows from the turning of the pin. 1

A feature of both of the shaving instruments herein described is the provision of hair guides on the operating end of the cutter head, these guides being in the form of fine grooves l5 lying parallel to and aligned with the slots in the blade and with the direction of movement of the razor across the skin in shaving. Hair bristles enter ing these grooves are thereby aligned with the blade slots and more effectively guided into the slots for shearing.

Various modifications of and improvements 75 upon the specific instruments herein described scribed, a thin blade having a multiplicity of apto illustrate my invention may occur to those skilled in the, art, and I desire to claim such other embodiments as may come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An instrument of the character described comprising a blade so thin as to be incapable of self-support and havingopenings therein for the admission of hair, a cutter member, means for supporting said blade in contact with said cutter member, means for moving said cutter member across said blade for hair shearing purposes, and means exclusive of said cutter member for tensioning said blade in a direction substantially atright angles to the direction of movement of said cutter member, whereby distortion of said blade incident to shearing is opposed by the cross-tension applied to said blade.

2. A combination in accordance with the claim .next preceding comprising means for adjusting the said tensioning of the blade.

3. A dry shaver comprising an apertured blade of the order of one-thousandth of an inch in thickness, a pair of rigid supports each in substantially continuous engagement with said blade along a respective edge thereof, means for forcing said supports away from each other so as to maintain said blade under tension between them and rectilinear in the direction of said tension, and a cutter member having teeth movable in hair shearing relation across said blade in a direction at substantially right angles to said direction of tension.

4. In an instrument of the character deertures for the admission of hair, a pair of rigid supporting members disposed along opposite edges of said blade, means for detachably fixing said blade substantially continuously along said edges to said supporting members, means for forcing said supporting members apart so as to support said blade under tension between them, a cutter member having shearing portions in operative relation with said blade, and means for rapidly moving said shearing portions substantially par-,

allel to said opposite edges.

5. A dry shaver comprising a metallic blade of the order of a thousandth of an inch in thickness having a multiplicity of apertures for the admission of hair, means for supporting said blade, a movable cutter member having shearing edges in operative relation with said blade, and means exclusive of said cutter member tensioning said blade in a direction at substantially right angles to the direction of movement of said shearing edges, whereby the tendency for the shearing parts of the blade to yield under the shearing stresses is resisted by the cross-tension applied.

6. A power-operated razor comprising a twopart housing, a thin, elongated apertured blade disposed transversely at one end of said housing, said housing parts being pivoted together so' as to be capable of relative angular movement about a transverse axis, supports at the said one end of said housing in engagement with the sides of said blade, the separation between said supports being determined by the angular relation of said housing parts, means for adjustably fixing the said angular relation whereby said blade-is tensioned transversely between saidsupports, and a cutter member in operative relation with said blade so tensioned.

MAURICE. E. STRIEBY. 

